From what was once a relatively strong position in world tourism, over the last decade Indonesia’s tourism industry has struggled to cope with successive problems. In October 2002 there was the Bali bombing. In 2003, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic hit, and then in 2004 it was bird flu. There has been incessant warfare in several of Indonesia’s islands, Bali was bombed again in 2005, the burning of the rainforest produced regional smoke hazes, and now Indonesia has one of the world’s worst air transport safety records. While responsibility for the events that have plagued the country’s tourism industry cannot be laid at the Indonesian administration’s door, it can equally be said that more could have been done.

The feeling now – buoyed by a growing and confident economy, significant advances in the fight against terrorism, a spectacular rise in visitor arrivals over 2007, ‘Visit Indonesia Year 2008’, and a political climate that cares about its world reputation – is that the light at the end of the tunnel for the hobbled giant of South East Asian tourism could be in reach.

Mintel Oxygen Travel Country Reports are quarterly tourism profiles of destination countries. The reports are compiled by a global network of industry analysts, who provide market-based information as well as detailed, insightful and localised interpretation of the facts and figures.

Each profile contains information on:

Tourist arrivals - overnights and expenditure

Purpose of visit - business, leisure or VFR

Accommodation supply - operating performance

Tourism policy - management

Transport - access and infrastructure

Tourism funding - promotion and future development